Electrical Properties of Lead Free (1-x)(Na0.5K0.5) NbO3-xLiNbO3 Piezoelectric Ceramics

This work focuses on the electrical conduction mechanism in a lead free ($Na_{0.5}K_{0.5}NbO_3$ ; NKN) ceramics system with $LiNbO_3$ content of approximately critical concentration $x{\geq}0.2$. Lead free $(1-x)(Na_{0.5}K_{0.5})NbO_3-x(LiNbO_3)$, $NKN-LN_x$ (x = 0.1, 0.2) ceramics were synthesized by solid-state reaction method. Crystal structures are confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The electric-mechanical bond coefficient $k_p$ decreases and the phase transition temperature $T_c$ increases with increasing x content, as determined by dielectric and piezoelectric measurements. The value of the real dielectric constants ${\varepsilon}^{\prime}$ and $k_BT{\varepsilon}^{\prime\prime}$ showed anomalies around $T_c$ ($462^{\circ}C$ in the NKN-LN0.1 and $500^{\circ}C$ in the NKN-LN0.2). For the ionic conduction of mobile ions, the activation energies are obtained as $E_I=1.76eV$ (NKN-LN0.1) and $E_I=1.55eV$ (NKN-LN0.2), above $T_c$, and $E_{II}=0.78$ (NKNL-N0.1) and $E_{II}=0.81$ (NKN-LN0.2) below $T_c$. It is believed that the conduction mechanisms of NKN-LNx ceramics are related to ionic hopping conduction, which may arise mainly due to the jumping of $Li^+$ ions.